Eswatini

Eswatini country profile

BACKGROUND

The Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, is a landlocked and mountainous country situated in the south of the African Continent. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It has a subtropical climate with hot, wet summers (about 75 per cent of the annual precipitation falls from October to March) and cold, dry winters (from April to September). 70 percent of the country’s people rely on subsistence farming and agriculture is the most important sector for national economic development and people’s livelihoods.

In Eswatini droughts, floods, and high-intensity storms are among the most common extreme weather events. Eswatini feels the impact of ENSO and is prone to drought during El Nino years. The 2015-16 El Niño- induced drought, the worst in 50 years, caused a 40 percent drop in production of the staple maize. During La Nina years, Eswatini, and much of southern Africa, sees an increased risk for above-average rainfall. Eswatini also experiences forest fires and epidemic disease outbreaks.

INFORM RISK INDEX (2022)    

Hazard and exposure: 1.9  |  Vulnerability: 4.5  |  Lack of coping capacity: 5.5 |  Total: 3.6 (medium)  |  Rank: 95

HAZARDS COVERED BY ANTICIPATION    

Drought

EXPERIENCE ON ANTICIPATION 

• Eswatini Red Cross is developing an Early Action Protocol (EAP) to respond to drought forecasts with the technical support of the German Red Cross, the British Red Cross, and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.